Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a vehicle lamp in which a plurality of planar light-emitting bodies is used as a light source.
[Prior Art Literature]
[Patent Document]    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-150887
Related Art
In a vehicle lamp, as a light source, a plurality of flat planar light emitting bodies is arranged in an interior of a lamp chamber that is configured by a cover and a lamp housing. For example, the flat planar light emitting bodies have an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) layer that is self-luminous.
In the vehicle lamp using the flat planar light emitting bodies thus configured as a light source, a large planar light emitting body is often used in order to secure a large light emitting region.
However, in the case of using the large planar light emitting body, from the probability of occurrence of defects in a panel, the yield is decreased or it is difficult to secure the uniformity of brightness as the light emitting area is increased. Accordingly, there is a possibility that the brightness unevenness is increased.
Therefore, a vehicle lamp using the flat planar light emitting body as a light source has been known in which a plurality of planar light emitting bodies is arranged side by side at predetermined positions, respectively (e.g., see Patent Document 1). By arranging a plurality of planar light emitting bodies with a small light emitting area side by side in this way, the yield is improved and the uniformity of brightness is improved. Further, it is possible to secure a large light emitting area as a whole light source.
However, the planar light emitting bodies require a sealing layer (protective layer) for sealing a light emitting layer (light emitting region) and an outer peripheral portion of the sealing layer is located on the outside of an outer periphery of the light emitting layer. Further, auxiliary electrodes are provided in an outer peripheral portion of the planar light emitting bodies. The auxiliary electrodes are adapted to supply power to the light emitting layer. Accordingly, the outer peripheral portion of the planar light emitting bodies becomes a non-light emitting region from which light is not emitted.
Accordingly, when a plurality of planar light emitting bodies is arranged side by side as in the vehicle lamp disclosed in Patent Document 1, the non-light emitting region is located between the light emitting regions of the plurality of planar light emitting bodies. Therefore, dark portions are formed in the light emitting range (irradiation range) by an amount of presence of the non-light emitting region and thus the unevenness of light does occur or reduction in visibility due to the formation of the dark portions is caused. Particularly, when a plurality of planar light emitting bodies is arranged side by side, it is desirable to secure visibility similar to the case where light is emitted from a single large panel.